THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS opened on February 14, 1991. The psychological horror thriller film was directed by Jonathan Demme and based on Thomas Harris’ novel with the same title. It grossed $272.7 million against $19 million budget.

The film became the third—and most recent—film to win Oscar in the "Big Five" categories: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It remains the only horror film to have won Best Picture.

The film was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically" significant by the U.S. Library of Congress and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2011.